The Christian-Leopold Heppe Collection of Outsider Art

7/12/2017 Pictures & Prints

Largest specialist collection of ‘Outsider Art’ ever sold at auction made over £650,000 with Anderson and Garland. The collection was the passion of Christian Heppe, art dealer turned entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Hildon Mineral Water who died in 2016. Based near Winchester, over 325 miles away from Anderson and Garland’s Newcastle saleroom, it was their reputation, expertise and drive that won them the job. (The collection passed not just London but Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds York and all other major English cities to be sold in the North East.)

Many of the lots came from the Gugging School, a group of artists who are or were formerly patients at the Maria Gugging Psychiatric Clinic. The resident Doctor, Leo Navratil, saw artistic abilities that had hitherto been overlooked and decided to use it as part of their their therapy. They received wider acclaim when David Bowie visited them and used them as inspiration for his ‘Outsider’ Album as well as amassing a collection of works himself, sold after his death, accruing many auction records, some of which were exceeded again in our auction.

Other more established artists sold well including a collection of eight Per Kirkeby bronze sculptures selling for an accumulative value of £185,700 hammer (£241,410 inc. Vat). A pen and ink double sided masterpiece by Louis Soutter titled ‘Raven Food’ sold for £42,000 (£54,600 inc. Vat).